Death Holds No Cards
by Aozoran
Summary: Non compliant-HBP or DH, part Marriage Law fic What if Snape wasn't the only one keeping an eye on the Dark Lord's movements? What if things hadn't gone just the way they were meant to? A thousand little secrets still lurk around every corner. HG/SS
1. Chapter 1 A Dark Twist

**Disclaimer-** I don't own Harry Potter, I make no money at all from this Fic. Though I do own Regina Whyteleafe XD Enjoy!

* * *

Blood splattered every surface, spraying across the ceiling and walls, every surface marred by the ghostly touch of crimson, bodies lay sprawled amongst the carnage of what had once been a fine Muggle residence. And it was clear from the large scorch marks still smouldering on the walls and carpet that there had indeed been a struggle…

Lifeless brown eyes gazed up at the Professor from amongst the tattered remains of a couch, long hair plastered down against chilled grey skin, the sweet lively features being reduced to a cold mask of horror and terror… An arm lay stretched out amongst the blood-soaked stuffing, reaching towards a wand that lay just out of reach. Below the lily white face, the flesh of her chest was scorched black, burnt right through and right into the carpet beneath her, flesh and muscle melted inwards… distorted and distended…

Blue eyes looked from the body of the child towards the fallen arm that stretched out beyond the doorframe, showing that it had been the middle aged woman who had died first, struck down the moment she had opened the door. Cut down as if she were nothing… Bloody footprints stained the white carpets under her body, two sets coming in… catching the next to come out of the living room… The man sitting up against the wall, his body slumped limply sideways…

But it was the body of the girl that brought the most grief to the heart of Albus Dumbledore as he stood in the centre of the living room of the Granger home, gazing down at the fallen child who had succumbed to the bloody hands of war. His head twisted towards the figure of the woman that hovered in the doorway from the backyard, catching the startled look in her eyes as she surveyed the horrible scene, her expression suddenly becoming shuttered at the sight of the two Muggles.

"Its just like before." The voice was barely above a whisper, the slender woman stepping fully into the room and slowly crossed the floor towards the fallen man, dropping to her knees beside Mr Granger, a hand reaching out to lightly touch the slightly warm skin of the man. Under the slightest of touches, he slipped further sideways, collapsing to the floor like a puppet that had had its strings cut. A long crimson smear swept across the white surface of the wall. "Exactly…"

Abruptly she was standing, when she had turned to face the Headmaster, staring down at the body of Hermione Granger, brown eyes widening slightly as she looked into the face…

"I am so sorry, my Dear."

"No… no…"

Before she stared at Dumbledore, frozen sharply to the spot, caught like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming car. Her mouth opened slightly for a moment, before straightening, her eyes gazing around at her at all the horror that surrounded her, the images reflecting those she had seen once before. Seen so long ago…

_There is no escape from this one fate, no quick way to erase the War's touch from this moment. _

"If this is discovered, it shall hinder the war effort." Albus Dumbledore was speaking low to the woman opposite him, dark blue eyes steady and looking into the mature features of Hermione Granger. A woman not unlike the girl that lay cold and still on the floor between them, one however, far more marked by the passage of time… of a war already fought. "My Dear..."

"There is nothing that can be done to change this. No matter if I went back again… and again… it would never change this day." And she was certain of it, knowing deep down that no matter how much she had desired and longed to protect her parents, she could not succeed… the pivotal point in her existence could not be altered, this decision could not be changed. One could not cheat the rules. "I can't change it…"

"You understand well." A slight nod, though his eyes turned down towards the fallen body of the young teenager…

"Confringo."

Suddenly the body of the young girl was engulfed in flames, being swallowed by the spell, the pair watching on as it was quickly incinerated. Leaving only another charred pit in the floor, as if the younger version of Hermione Granger had never existed. Her ebony wand was still clasped in one hand before she turned slightly to glance at her parents, feeling her heart shrink even more at the sight, as she slipped her wand away.

"A necessity." Her eyes lifted sharply from the hole, the amber colour glinting slightly in the flickering light bulb above her. Shoulders stiff and tense, having just destroyed herself, an act in and of itself was rather odd indeed.

"Harry…" The Headmaster gestured slightly to a photo that stood upon the mantelpiece, the still life image of the Golden Trio, the three friends leaning in their smiles bright and hopeful of a future together. "He must not know. You understand, one more death so close to him would only weaken his resolve. He is the key to victory."

"I understand." And she was bowing her head slightly as she was stepping towards the Headmaster, not quite being able to meet his blue eyes. "Do what you must. It was you who sent me in the first place…"

A wand lifted upwards and suddenly a powerful glamour was cast upon this Hermione Granger, the years and hardships melting away from her as long seconds drifted past. The short cropped hair lengthening about her shoulders, as the slender frame seemed to grow smaller, shrinking and narrowing. Younger and younger…

Ten years had been stripped away, leaving a carbon copy behind… a carbon copy of the young girl, who once brightened these rooms with her presence.

"Come, Miss Granger, there is much to be done this night."

Stooping to pick up the unfamiliar wand, the young witch lifted her head slightly, gazing at the back of Albus Dumbledore, and for a moment wondering… What would become of her?

* * *

"It's a foolhardy plan."

"It is the only option available to us," Came the reply, softly spoken and marked with exhaustion, blue eyes crinkling in worry behind half moon glasses. "You must consider it, my Child." A sigh escaped slightly parched lips, the Headmaster sinking back a little more fully into his chair, ancient body taut with so many hidden emotions

"She may well wish to be dead before she considers such an action."

"It is for her own safety… for her protection." Tired blue grey eyes lifted upwards to regard Severus Snape the younger of the men silhouetted against the stormy backdrop by the window, illuminated every few moments by the bolts of lightning lancing across the sky. "She is of great importance to this War…"

"I _know_." Dark eyes snapped slightly, twisting to regard Dumbledore for a long dark instant, before turning back towards the rain soaked grounds outside. His head rested against the window frame, feeling the cold metal touch against his skin. "You have no need to remind me." Shoulders hunched, he did not take his eyes off the scurrying figures of students fleeing through the rain… A slight smirk of abstract pleasure touched his lips for a brief moment.

"Are we in agreement, then?" Fingers drew the glasses from the tip of his nose, lifting them from his face and turning them in his fingers. A hand rubbed at the ache that resting just behind his eyes.

"Very well." His voice was so quiet that even Dumbledore's rather good hearing barely caught it, for a long moment he remained facing the window before turning around to regard the Headmaster steadily, his jaw set sharply.

"I appreciate you doing so."

"I am not doing it because I _want_ to." Snape hissed, burning dark eyes pinning the older Wizard in his seat, anger marking his sallow features, before his shoulders sharpened slightly, his eyes turning away back to the world outside. "She will be a burden. Insufferable."

"But you understand the necessity of it, I am certain of all people you would know how to handle a girl like Hermione Granger." Dumbledore brought his fingers together, regarding the younger man for a long moment, knowing that the war required such things… More was at stake than just Severus's desire to continue to have such Privacy. It there was any that could possibly contend with Hermione Granger, it would be Severus Snape. "I would not ask you if it weren't necessary, but with the loss of her parents… and the increase of _his_ powers, any advantage we possess is precious. Though the situation with this Law… Makes it all the more important for it to be you."

Another withering glare was enough to silence the old fool, ending the long prattling speech was just about to be used on him once again. "Excuse me, Headmaster. I see no need to remain any longer. You have made it perfectly clear what is required of me." And soon enough with a flap of his long robes swirling about his tall lithe frame, Snape vanished down into the stairwell… heading away from the Headmaster's office towards the sanctuary of the Dungeons.

Dumbledore paused for a long moment, before his head twisted slightly towards the hidden figure standing behind him, his glasses slipped back onto his nose once more, regarding the black robed figure for a long moment. "You understand, don't you?" His dark blue eyes flickered over the form of the Death Eater that stood in his Office, feeling no fear at all looking into that silver masked face. Knowing behind it was Regina Whyteleafe, a rather twisted witch who had somehow come under the spell of Albus's words. "The necessity of your involvement."

A frown touched her lips for only a moment before she glanced towards the shut door, before nodding slightly, a gloved hand pulling the hood more firmly down over her head, shrouding herself in the darkness of her robes in the glaring brightness of Dumbledore's office. "I will keep an eye out for him." Hands smoothed down over her robes, almost unconcerned with the fate of the Spy, before reluctantly nodding slightly.

"He is vital to the War, _vital_." Blue-grey eyes dropped shut for a moment, a hand resting against his temple for a long moment, before finding the Death Eater standing just behind him, a leather clad fingers squeezing his shoulder softly in sympathy, understanding the necessity of what was to happen. "As well you have told me."

"I will keep him safe, Sir, have no worry of that. I might find him disagreeable, but I know what his survival might mean." For a moment she paused, just letting her hand rest against the colourful fabric of Dumbledore's robes, feeling the tiniest spark of hope rest in some small part of her heart. Maybe this war could indeed be won…

"Follow him, Regina." The firm order came a moment later, a wizened hand gestured towards the stairs, knowing it would be beneficial for her to remain close to Snape that evening before the Summons that was expected. "Attend the meeting as arranged this evening. Make sure you bring him back, I have a fear that Lucius Malfoy will be a little too overzealous this evening over his inclusion in the Inner Circle, and his ambitions for his son."

"As you wish, Headmaster." And the black robed Death Eater bowed low before Dumbledore, eyes flashing from beneath the mask. Before dissolving into the shadows, moving effortlessly towards the stairs and the portkey that waited for her.

* * *

"Crucio."

Snape was caught square in the back, almost thrown off his feet by the force of the spell. As if a match had suddenly been struck underneath every nerve, the pain flared rapidly through him, searing through muscle and bone… Pulsing through each gush of blood in his veins, pounding again and again, before it overtook him…

And for a few moments he stood, swaying under the harsh caress of the Cruciatus Curse… Abruptly his legs buckled out from under his body, sending him crashing to his knees in a rather undignified manner. Not a sound escaped him, his vocal cords snapped roughly with the jolts of agony that swept through his body. His iron will prevented Lucius Malfoy from gaining the satisfaction of hearing him cry out, much to the latter's displeasure.

"_Crucio_!"

A second, blinding wave struck him hard between the shoulder blades, the force of the cast almost pushing him forwards onto his belly, but he stayed upright, stubborn and not about to be put in such a position. Muscle fibres twitched sharply as they contracted, burning jolts of flame brushed magically through each part of him.

Jerking fingers curled about his wand, unable to grasp it fully, his mouth opening slightly, unable to force the sounds of a spell to cross his lips, his mind far beyond his control to whisper a non-verbal cast. Blood seeped from the corner of his lips, sliding slowly down against the inside of the cold mask, burning hotly across his sallow skin and soaking into the edge of his hood… His body already glistened with the sheen of dark blood… long slashes in the fabric revealing deep raw wounds. The grass beneath him damp with rain was also streaked with long swaths of deep red… the colour slowly spreading out about him.

The pointed tip of a wand jabbed sharply against the back of his neck, as if attempting to stab him through the fabric of his hood, the contact of it seared through the material after several moments. His own wand however was sliding through his fingers, slick with body and unable to grasp it due to the tremors that rocked him, the wand dropped onto the wet grass with a soft thump rolling away from his reach.

"_Cruci_…"

"Caederio!" An unfamiliar curse cut through the air, smashing into Lucius Malfoy who hovered over the kneeling Snape. The slender frame of Regina Whyteleafe stood silhouetted against the moonlit landscape, her mask the only bright point on her form. Deceptively petite, the Witch was not one to be taken lightly in the best of times.

The curse found its mark across Malfoy's side, long whiplash slices crossed over his skin through the fabric of his robes, a fine spray of blood being blasted outwards form his body. It was enough to stun the golden haired Death Eater for a moment, enough to force him away from the downed Potions Master. Another burst of magic smashed into the other man again, sending him back another few steps, enough to drive him away.

Snape was searching for his wand… his strength ebbing with every new pulse of fresh blood over the grass, his slick fingers brushing against the edge of it… but unbalanced… he would fall…

Abruptly he was shoved to the side, the woman dropping before him, just as a brilliant green haze filled his vision, blinding him for a brief moment just as Regina blocked the incoming spell. The Shielding charm shimmering sharply as the two powerful forces collided, exploding outwards in a wave of raw magical energy. An arm thrust against Snape's shoulders as he attempted to rise even a little from the grass, driving him back down with a rough snarl of annoyance from the woman.

The vicious claws of the Cruciatus Curse curled into his flesh, stealing away any more strength he could summon, his dark eyes glaring at the back of the woman who had interfered. Limbs twisted sharply, the jolts of pain flaring through his nerves, electrifying every sense he had as he succumbed to the bitter effects of the Curse. Crimson foam bubbled up slightly from between his lips, frothing up slightly onto the lips of the mask, stealing away most of the air he attempted to suck in… His hand stretched out still, seeking his wand somewhere in the damp blades of grass…

"_Coward_." The woman hissed between clenched teeth, flinging another spell at Snape's attacker, dark brown eyes burning from beneath the silver mask. "You stoop to attack from _behind_. I thought of all the old Blood, you might have some small measure of duelling honour." A foot pushed at Snape's shoulder, trying to get the damned man to remain still… from attracting more attention.

"Reducto!" Her wand flung the spell forcefully, the burning blue burst of magic streaming from the tip of it, brightening the dark empty field with a flickering blue radiance, which crashed sharply up against a shielding spell, scorching across the ground and setting the grass alit with flames. The brilliance of the glare revealed the face of Lucius Malfoy, his mask somewhere on the ground behind him, having been flung loose by the impact of her second spell.

A cackling laugh escaped the pretty-faced man, his body having evaporated into the misty apparition, his face a glint of white against the dark hood… his wand lifted in his hand, quite intent to finish what he had started on Snape. "Did you actually believe…?" That elegant voice sounded almost bemused, long silvery-gold hair slipping from the edge of the tall pointed hood, making him look almost ethereal for a moment in the flickering brilliance of the flames. "Or were you truly so naïve to think you could stop the likes of me."

Her eyes flickered over the other man's features, considering just how to remove this threat… remove this thorn… And bring Snape back to Hogwarts… "You will displease our Master, Malfoy." Her voice was low, quiet… but ever so dangerous, her body remaining firmly between Malfoy and Snape, protecting the latter with her own body if it called for it. "By killing Snape." Watching… waiting… knowing that the other was thinking well in advance of how to deal with the likes of her.

"Killing? Oh no…" Those lips curved upwards into a rather seductive smile, blue eyes sparkling with something more sinister. "Death is so final… I just wish to remind, dear Severus of where his loyalties lie." His wand rose slightly, tapping his lips softly as if thoughtful and clearly enjoying this entire situation.

"No." She hissed, flinging another painful curse at him, anything to make that primping peacock silent. Whyteleafe advanced on him again, duelling with him in the familiar art of years practised. "I know well your plans, Malfoy, you and your little… pest of a son. He takes after you, weak-minded and a _coward_."

His dark eyes narrowed sharply on the woman he recognised as Regina Whyteleafe, a member of the inner Circle and bane of all Muggles. Her reputation came from the string of murders she had committed, wiping out parents of those who followed Harry Potter and that fool Dumbledore, her recent marks including the Grangers; their deaths sending a clear jolt right through to Dumbledore that no one was safe anymore. The Dark Lord commended her work, allowing her to be present in more of the Inner Circle Meets and to witness the punishment of those victims that had been brought before Voldemort.

Why would such a woman interfere in his plans? She had nothing to gain by doing so… But yet she was here, she had known what he was up to, when he had revealed nothing.

"The Dark Lord has need of his skills as a Potions Master." Her wand flickering brusquely, jerking towards Malfoy, challenging him once again, after they had paused in their duel, sizing each other up. "Has need of his skills for other things, ones such as _yourself _are not privy to knowing of." A wicked little smile touched her lips, knowing that she had caught Lucius with that one, knowing quite well that the other man was kept out of the loop of more… interesting information.

"You know little of the Dark Lord's plans _yourself_, Woman." Malfoy retorted, his wand ready, enjoying the rather odd scene as it played out. The two almost evenly matched, though it was clear Lucius knew she wouldn't dare kill him… Severus Snape was not worth it.

"Silence, you arrogant, _pretty_ boy!" The woman growled, clearly not about to back down now… She wouldn't let Malfoy destroy Snape. "Leave, Malfoy. Before you attract more unwanted attention." A hand touched against her arm slightly, indicating the Dark Mark that burned hot under the fabric of her robes, her eyes seeming to watch Lucius, daring him… "I do not think he will take kindly to your 'meddling'. You might offer him a replacement for Snape, but are you really ready to risk displeasing him so soon? Are your plans foolproof?"

"Do not dare lecture me, woman." Irritation flared over his features, his eyes set ablaze as he watched her, his plan though cunning after his disposal of Snape was drifting away from his thoughts, his anger being jabbed sharply by some of such an inferior house that was barely holding onto its purity and position.

Suddenly she was launching herself at Lucius, a spirally fury of dark shadows and twisting mist, slamming straight into Malfoy, both of them tangling sharply together, magic locking horns as they corkscrewed upwards, twisting and tumbling in that other… dark form, their wands moving… brilliant flashes of magic burst across the field, sending showers of sparks crashing to the grass… The damp ground hissing and steam poured off it, the earth smouldering under the brilliant bursts of flame.

The field erupted to the right of Snape, cods of dirt and charred grass were flung skywards, pummelling him sharply as it fell to earth. The darkness of the night sky being illuminated by the battle… Casting a spray of magic outwards, washing over the silent landscape, casting his dark form in sharp relief against the slick grass about him.

"Confringo."

A brilliant spout of scarlet exploded against Lucius's chest,setting his robes alight with brilliant ribbons of roiling flame, sending him towards the grass, the heat seeping through to blister across Lucius's skin. The spell wrapping its fingers tightly about him, dragging him downwards… The black writhing mass of his form half solidified out of the air… his hair sizzling under the caress of the Spell, searing the ends black.

"Incarcerous."

Robes spun out of the tip of Lucius's wand, wrapping sharply about her body, snaking around her brutally, twining tightly about her like a living thing, and the force of the impact knocking her from the air as her wand hand was forced down against her side. The ropes weighted her body and she hit the ground with force, arms and legs pinwheelling in a painful motion, her head thumping against the ground… Her eyes burned into the back of Lucius Malfoy at being so humiliated with such an action. Suddenly the ropes burst into flame, hissing and sputtering around her as they were charred into ashes…

"Aguamenti."

Water spilled around the flaming Lucius, dousing the blaze. Water swirling around the tip of his wand, dangerous and growing, clearly going to use to drown the downed man… It would do… to watch the suffering of Snape, watch the light slowly slide away from the man's dark eyes… to have the pleasure… The pleasure of witnessing the death of someone above him in the circle… Someone in his way…

The death of this worthless spy would not cause much trouble… _Filthy… half-blood_. To think… He had spent so much time training him to assist the Dark Lord and that he could no longer provide such useful information as he had about Dumbledore's doings… Too soft… too weak… The snake handled wand was clasped tightly, lifted just enough as he approached Snape… so helpless on the ground.

"Do not ignore me, Malfoy." Came the sharp warning from behind him, having already found her feet and rushed after him, body dissolving in a twisting phantasm of black energy and scorching magic, avoiding the rapid fire of spells that exploded around her, some grazing her body as she moved. Solidifying a moment before she crashed into the back of Lucius, they toppled to the grass, twisting and whirling with the force of the impact.

Whyteleafe straddled him, for a moment, one hand gripping his collar sharply and suddenly her other hand gave a strong right hook to the fine elegant jaw, snapping his head back sharply, before striking him again and again. The wizard attempted to shake her off… his hands wrenching at her body, but she held on, her body locking around his, preventing him from dislodging her. His wand was out… trapped for a moment beneath his leg, before the next punch freed his wand that was coming up to rest against her chest.

"Imperio!"

For a long moment the spell simply stunned her… before a cloud of blissful peace sweeping through her mind driving away the pain of cracked bones and the raw burns. It left her perched upon him for a long moment, her fingers slackening their grasp on him, her limps slowly loosening…

Everything was blank… everything felt good like this… no more worries… No understanding of what was going on around her… Completely… blankness…

_Get off me, Woman._

And Regina did, her limbs moving jerkily, like a puppet controlled by tight strings, her wand still gripped in one hand, her limp fingers still managing to keep her grip on it. Tottering on her feet, her body was rigid and stiff, waiting for more orders…

_Move forward. I said move, Woman.  
_

Moving towards Snape that voice whispered in the back of her mind, whispering, hissing… Commanding her and demanding that she kill Snape herself. Not feeling… no responsibility… no worries… about the death that would soon rest on her shoulders.

And suddenly she found herself standing over Snape, the man's dark eyes staring up at her, half glazed and unfocused. The woman felt it… like a heavy brick dropping right through the peaceful space she had been in. Sharp jolts of pain burned up Regina's side, shooting hot glowing sparks right into her chest, crashing against her heart for a moment. It was like being the recipient of a dose of a hateful Cruciatus Curse… The pain was overwhelming… Crashing through Imperius Curse with the subtly of a rampaging Centaur, tearing it apart.

Whirling on Lucius, the Death Eater's mouth forming a familiar spell, her wand raised high. Abruptly Lucius's wand was wrenched from his fingers, the force of the caste a Disarming Charm driving him backwards as if a car had struck him square in the chest. Her mind filled with the seething roiling pain… energising her… And her wand turned towards Lucius's dropped one, her mouth moving again… and the wand suddenly exploded, wood shattered into a thousand pieces, the core being incinerated with the sharpness of the spell.

"**_Crucio_**."

Whyteleafe's fingers were white knuckled around her wand, when she cast the Cruciatus Curse, her eyes staring down at the body of Lucius Malfoy which jerking sharply under the influences of the enveloping green cloud of magic. His voice suddenly breaking through the dark evening air, howling again and again in distorted agony… And for a moment she stood, scrutinising him, before a smirk crossed her masked features.

Taking a step forwards, the tip of her wand was right in Lucius's face, right between the eyes, before casting Obliviate over him, blanketing out his memories… making sure the man wouldn't realise he had indeed caught Snape… or who he had indeed battled that evening. The moment Regina was certain it had taken effect; she was turning away, moving across the grass back towards Snape…

Her hand slipped deep into her robes, pulling out a deeply scratched vial, dropping to her knees, she was tugging out the stopper with her teeth, bringing it abruptly to his lips. But his head twisted away, resisting the administration of any potion… knowing it could be… And she gripped his jaw tightly, forcing his mouth open and emptying the contents into it. Before locking his jaw closed again, making sure he swallowed it, knowing he wouldn't respond to any requests for him to do it otherwise. His head struggled against her grip, but he was too weak… too disorientated and he swallowed shallowly, the potion running down his throat… numbing out his pain…

The taste familiar and quite memorable, it was one of his own potions… One of his own…

"You're a right pain, Snape." The woman chuckled darkly, eyes flickering over his features, before Regina Whyteleafe was picking up his wand from where it had been dropped on the grass, tucking it up into a pocket. "Insufferable." The woman mused, almost finding it truly amusing. Before her hand pressed over his chest, making contact with his flesh and they suddenly Apparated, their bodies being squeezed through impossibly small tubes as they were whisked away to several other locations before… Arriving outside of the grounds at Hogwarts… beyond the effects of the Anti-Disapparition Jinx cast over the school.

By that time, Snape had dropped off into a rather blissful dark, and didn't see the arrival of the Headmaster who had apparently been awaiting their return. The old Wizard relieved to find both of his charges alive… much to his relief.

* * *

**Okay^^ Thanks for reading! if you got this far XD At the moment, I'm desperate for a Beta for this story. I know it doesn't have much romance in it yet.... But wait! ^_____^ its coming! It really is! Reviews most welcome! please? I need to know whether anyone out there likes this story.**


	2. Chapter 2 Time And Time Again

Sorry about the long wait! Hopefully I'll get back into Harry Potter soon XD

* * *

Blazing light speared down into his eyes as he shifted, bones and muscles aching horribly, every inch of him feeling bruised. Blinded for a moment, a shadow suddenly cast across his face. The slight scent of starch filled the air and he knew it was Poppy. Abruptly coming fully awake Snape jolted upward, his body twisting sharply as he sat up. Dark eyes blinked sharply, trying to clear the hazy black around the edges of his vision…

However, a hand swiftly pushed square against his chest, forcing him back down against the stiff pillows, his dark locks messily spreading out around his head. "Don't you dare, Severus." The stern warning sounded, the motherly Matron not about to allow her patient decide to get up and walk out before she was certain he was well enough to do so. "I won't have any of your nonsense this morning."

A chuckle came from his left at that comment. His head swept around towards the sound, abruptly meeting the grey-blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore, a slight smile on the Headmaster's face as he watched the usually petulant Snape's unable to resist the hand of Poppy Pomfrey.

A sneer touched his lips as the gayety rout at his expense, not about to give an answer, Snape clearly wanting to be anywhere but in the infirmary, tucked in under white sheets in a rather ridiculous manner. Though some privacy had been afforded him as white curtains surrounded the bed, protecting him from the eyes of several of the students that peppered the beds of the Infirmary. His sallow features hardening, expression quite unreadable, Snape's sharp mind flickering over what he could recall…

However, his usually sharp mind could only close around several fragmented images… _Malfoy… the dark field… fire… Death Eater. _A particular Death Eater who would not have given a scrap of concern for him… Regina Whyteleafe… The explanation of her interference quite eluded even his quick mind.

"I would suggest you remain were you are, my Boy." Albus's long wizened fingers popping another of his sherbet lemons into his mouth, glancing to the other side of Snape's bed, before dropping back down to gaze at the riled Potions Master. "Poppy won't take kindly to your usual escapades, not after last night."

"I have no need to be here." His tone was sharp, features darkening swiftly, knowing he could not force himself completely up on his feet, the lasting jolts of pain still flickered through his nerves from the extreme number of Cruciatus Curses he had been exposed to the night before. Fingers clenching slightly, his jaw set firmly and was not going to give anyone any satisfaction. Here was the reason he avoided arriving unconscious, Albus always took him here… Always shuffling him into the care of Poppy, when he would rather deal with his own injuries in the sanctuary of his Chambers.

But it was only then that he realised there was a girl sitting to the other side of him, unusually quiet, her dark amber-brown eyes glancing at him every so often. Bushy locks sweeping down across her shoulders, ruffled and partly unkempt, looking as if she had been disturbed from sleep…

"Miss Granger." He bit out, his tone cold and almost bitter. _What is she doing here?_ And a sickening realisation hit him… She could not have found him, not her… "Leave."

Those eyes returned to focus on his face steadily, her mouth set in a firm line, looking far more serious than any sixteen-year-old should. There was something, changed about her, the death of her parents having wreaked a deep change over her usually cheerful personality. And she remained seated, ignoring his order.

"I thought it best, Miss Granger be present, Severus." The Headmaster tipped his head towards the girl, before gazing down at Snape, his lips pursed slightly, considering the situation for a moment. "Considering the situation both of you are now in…" A hand gestured slightly, as if trying to explain something unspoken of between the three of them. "A most fortuitous moment for both of you to talk of matters that are in dire need of discussion."

It was apparent the idea that Albus had thought up had been broached with Miss Granger, something Severus had not been present for. And it seemed that the girl had not reacted as predicted, for here she sat at his bedside, clearly not 'running away' or determined to be as far from him as possible by the repugnance of the idea. Marriage wasn't a thing Snape had ever considered himself entering into, especially not with the likes of a sixteen-year-old girl.

"My options are limited." Her brown eyes were stony, observing Snape with a cold almost logical expression, having clearly thought of all the possibilities in her usual thorough manner. "Either attempt to leave the country, leave the magical world, or marry."

"The first two options aren't truly options anymore." The Headmaster nodded his head slightly, moving from his chair to rest a hand against the girl's small shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Marriage however, must be considered…"

"I know both… Harry and Ron have both offered to fulfil the requirements of the law…" Hermione shifted slightly, her voice softer now, brows furrowed together before letting out a quiet sound. "But I couldn't ask it of them… It would just…" Shaking her head sharply her long hair bounced a little, the curls fluttering against her cheeks, casting a shadow across her pretty features. "Put them in such an awkward position… and in more danger…" If she died… she didn't want to leave someone behind that would truly care about her passing… And it was probably certain that she would be dead before the war was won.

_The dead live again… You can indeed bring back the dead… but not your own innocence._

However, the fact was… _this_ Hermione couldn't face her friends any longer. Her hands rested in her lap, trying to act the part… to be that innocent self… a person she might have been, if things had been different. At least with Snape, she would not have to pretend to be happy, or hold her emotions on her sleeve. He would most likely keep to himself and currently that was all she desired. She would do as the Headmaster requested, act the part of the dead girl… protect Snape.

"Understood." It was a simple word, conveying a silent acceptance of the reasons, not that he particularly favoured either of the two dunderheads that still tormented him during his teaching hours… At least Miss Granger had a head on her shoulders, enough to make her tolerable.

For a moment the two watched each other, trying to measure the others intentions and decisions involved in this particularly demented affair gifted to them by the Ministry of Magic, who had wished to offer some form of 'protection' to Muggle-borns by marrying them into Pure Blood families. Protection was nothing more than a fancy disguise for the rather more obvious problem developing within the oldest of the Noble Houses. Birth rates had dropped, Squib numbers had increased, genetic defects ran rampant through every bloodline.

_Old Blood has gone sour. _

Also the association of Snape with Hermione could be a beneficial one, a step towards getting more information on Potter… A voice from the enemy camp being brought to the ears of the Dark Lord, providing all the subtleties that had been lacking in his reports. And also a way to tap into a new source of ideas for the Dark Lord's plans… Hermione was after all the 'brightest Witch of her age'.

"I will marry you Professor Snape, for my own protection." Her voice was a little louder than needed, as if trying to convince everyone else… if they overheard of her decision. "I am very grateful to you."

"There is no need to trouble yourself, my Boy, over her student status." Albus waved a hand slightly, turning his head to regard the young Hermione Granger, who turned her head away as if trying to hide silent embarrassment. "Miss Granger has taken up my offer to become my assistant." Dumbledore smiled at the girl, a hand lightly resting against her shoulders, as if making her even more valuable to the likes of Snape as a marriage candidate. "I am not a young man by far and I find I am in need of an extra set of hands at times. She has already completed most of her studies during the summer break under my guidance."

A dark brow rose slightly at that, clearly skeptical about this rather new development for he had not an inkling of such a thing, and a man with his skills was not easily surprised… But he didn't say a word, nodding his head slightly, finding the arrangement sufficient. Still… Though he almost saw such a maneuver to complete her work in such a small period of time was not beyond the capability of an insufferable know-it-all. However, she would have to be 'sufferable' from now on.

"I accept your decision on this matter, Miss Granger."

Before they could speak anymore of it, Poppy returned, her eyes flickering from the Headmaster, to Miss Granger than to Snape himself, a hand resting slightly against her hip. And before the two 'visitors' knew they were being shepherded out before the talk could continue any further…

The chill of the air was refreshing, the slightly damp scent lingering in her nose for a moment, before she turned slightly, glancing about at the familiar setup of the Potions Classroom. It was different from the last time she had been here, the dust and broken furniture, rotting ingredients smashed on the floors… Pausing for a moment, she caught a glimpse of herself in one of the nearby glass bottles, her head instantly turning away from the image of herself.

"It is honestly surprising to find you down here, my Dear." Albus stood behind her in the doorway, shutting it quietly behind him as he was approaching the young girl, his features marked with a soft hint of compassion. "Not somewhere one would usually desire to be."

"I find it… comforting…" Her fingers tugged sharply at the long curls that ran over her shoulders, grimacing slightly as she did so, her head turning a little, glancing up at the other man before lifting her head to feel the sunlight on her face. "I am a Slytherin after all, we prefer darker places..." Brown eyes drifted half closed, losing herself for a fleeting instant in the sunlight, before turning around to fully face the Headmaster.

"Another difference."

"I know."

"I have found no explanation for such discrepancies." Albus Dumbledore seated himself comfortably in one of the chairs at a nearby desk, observing Hermione with a thoughtful look.

"I doubt you will ever find a reason." Shrugging her shoulders, she was picking up one of the bottles from the shelf, turning it over in her hands carefully, her thumb brushed against the spidery handwriting of the label. _Snape_… "But it seems your plan has worked rather well." Hermione lifted the bottle up to eyelevel, studying the objects that floated within the sickly brown liquid. "You have already avoided… The first battle."

"Thanks to the information you have been providing me." The Headmaster pointed out, a hand stroking through his beard slightly, taking a moment to consider all that was before him. "Without that, it would have been quite certain we would have lost Emmeline Vance."

"Why is it I could save her? But not my parents?" The question was whispered softly, her brown eyes half closed for a long moment. She wasn't expecting the answer… "Why is it I cannot save those that matter most to me?"

Remaining silent, the Wizard shook his head slightly. They both knew the possible effects of there being _two_ Hermiones in one place or even close together. She had been too late to save them… No one trusted her word yet… and there seemed no threat to her parent's lives… or Hermione's. They had been well hidden. That was until Regina Whyteleafe found them…

"You cannot blame yourself." Albus let out a quiet sigh, knowing that he was mostly at fault for their deaths, if they had arrived just a little earlier… Maybe things would have been different, but he was not to know that this woman was indeed who she claimed to be. "The fault rests with me, my Dear."

"No…" Shaking her head, those brown eyes blinked slightly, trying to force away all the emotions that had drifted a little too close to the surface. "Nothing could be done about it. I cannot blame you for not trusting me, for not believing me. And trying to save them would have been of no use… they would still be tracked and hunted down. It not then, then in a week… a month… They would still end up dead, because they are _her_ parents."

Fingers were slipping into a pocket lifting out a half shattered Time Turner, the face deeply scratched and slightly charred, her thumb rubbed over the front surface, watching the tiny dials spin around inside the mechanism. "He forced me back, you know." The damaged device was turned over in her fingers, examining it quietly. "Your future self, just before he died in the last stand… Forced me back… Right the injustices he said… like I did before with Sirius and Buckbeak. Go back… make changes, subtle ones… A person spared, a life saved here and there could make all the difference."

The girl contracted in on herself, wishing that this disguise wasn't there… that she looked like the woman she was. The woman, who faced ten years more of war, the destruction of the Order, the hunts for them… the Rise of the Dark Lord to prominence as a global force.

A shiver rushed through Hermione's body and abruptly she shoved the Time Turner back into an inner pocket of her school robes, not wanting to look at the source of even more pain for her. Her gaze lifted to Albus's face, expression despairing for a long moment, eyes haunted by events unknown. An expression that reminded Albus so very much of Severus Snape, the two were so similar now, both eternally scarred by War.

She was so tired… so _lonely_…

Jerking herself out of her thoughts, the girl straightened sharply, pushing aside all that troubled her, there was no time or place for such things. A hand smoothed down across her skirt, feeling the woollen fabric cling to her fingers for a moment, her other hand patted down the wild bushy chestnut locks, trying to get them to sit down.

"What is expected of me now?"

"Continue as planned with your duties." Nodding slightly, he was gesturing a hand towards the doors. "However, I would like you to come up to my office to decide on the best wording for your betrothal announcement and petition to the Ministry."

A faint light hovered by the bedside, disturbing the otherwise still darkness of the Infirmary, the candle flickered slightly, twinkling a little and illuminating the features of a young Hermione Granger as she settled herself beside the bed of one Severus Snape. It was well past curfew, one of the distant clocks chimed an early hour somewhere in the room… Though this time, she was free of the contrast of student hood… and thus the usual laws that governed her movements.

A hand slipped into a pocket, pulling out an elegantly carved wand, the dark wood awkward in such small hands, but a finger rubbed lightly over the familiar surface, her brows twisting together for a moment. How long had she had this wand? Since her hands had fallen on it in the heat, picked it up, used it against those who had decided to kill her…

It had only been so much later that she realised it was Snape's wand, the familiar head of house that she remembered… his face scarred by the Dark Lord. It had been her wand for so long after the death of its first owner… slight marks marred its carvings left by her fingers. Its heavier weight however was awkward in her younger hands, the usual grip on it uncomfortable. _This_ Snape's wand sat in her inner pocket, out of sight…

Abruptly she was jolted from her thoughts by a long fingered hand suddenly curling around the wand, tugging it from her grip, before she could let out a sound, Snape had taken it from her. Tucking it out of sight before she could even breathe a word…

"One should not take other people's wands, Miss Granger." The sharp tone was icy cold to her ears, clearly not pleased with her presence or the fact she had been in possession of his missing wand. His sallow face remained as impossibly bland, his lips twitching slightly as if wanting to form straight into a familiar sneer directed at her. "It is considered _rude_."

Amber brown eyes narrowed slightly at the man, her lips settling into a firm line and shifted sharply on the stool beside his bed. "I was returning it to you, I managed to find it." Before she relaxed again, her voice soft and quiet knowing others might be listening in on their conversation… If you could call it that... "And I've come to offer my assistance."

The stool scrapped lightly on the floor, her hand reaching forwards to pat against the white sheets, moving slowly and catching one of his large hands. Her smaller one curled about his, gripping it before it could recoil from her touch. Giving him a classic Slytherin grin, an eyebrow rose slightly, as she tugged the strength of Dumbledore's 'anti-aging crossed glamour hex' didn't however affect her strength.

"Madam Pomfrey is asleep, the hallway is clear… No Filch or Mrs Norris." And Snape's dark eyes stared at her, clearly not knowing quite what to make of this suddenly… sneaky… Hermione Granger, clearly going to break some rules. "It's either now or you spend the next two days trapped in here with Neville Longbottom for company." A finger jerked beyond the edge of one of the curtains, flashing the Potions Master with a rather charming smile, one that was nothing like anything ever seen on Hermione Granger's face.

"Miss Granger…"

Before the man could protest or snap at her, she had managed to get him upright, her body slipping beneath one of his raised arms, his frame ending up resting against her. And soon enough he was on his feet, loose shirt and pants rumpled, long bandages wrapped around beneath the edge of the shirt… Snape winced slightly, the briefest of flashes of pain darting across his tired features before he was shifting heavily, most of his weight being carried by the girl across her shoulders.

"I know what you would prefer, Professor Snape." Brown eyes glittered in the faint light of the floating candle that rose up to follow after them, its flame flickering slightly. "And so if you complain, I'll simply leave you right where I found you."

And Severus Snape was silent, his snarky retorts and sneers being repressed for once in his life, though he found the entire situation quite unbearable… having to rely on another for the simple task of walking. But still he relented, his desire to be away from the Infirmary and the prospect of Neville Longbottom overriding his personality…

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